Blackberry

No company has had it as rough as BlackBerry has this year. With good news few and very far between, the embattled Canadian company has seen its stock plummet to the point that it is bleeding money, employees, and anything else it can to stay relevant. Besides avoiding falling on their faces, BlackBerry should be trying to do anything and everything to keep going into 2014. Here is our list of potential New Years Resolutions for BlackBerry.

#1 - Do One Thing Really Well

Stop trying to Apple, Samsung, or Windows. BlackBerry could be dominating the business world if it stuck to its niche. If it wasn't for BlackBerry's sullied name they would likely still be well respected in the business world. In 2014 BlackBerry should try to reinvent itself as the ultimate business phone, instead of trying to be a mediocre iPhone.

#2 - Bring Back The Keyboard Full Time

BlackBerry users love their QWERTY keyboards. They are crazy for them. Maybe some are sold on touch-screens, but diehard BlackBerry fans are all about physical keyboards. Whether it's a case of familiarity, or the perceived durability, the QWERTY keyboard is, and should continue to be, the cash cow for this ailing company.

#3 - Pony Up And Make A Real Phone

BlackBerry this year released a phone called the Z30. It was a spec'd up version of the flailing Z10. The only issue was that this souped up Z10 still lagged behind dated devices like the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4. Seriously though BlackBerry, do this. Take a Q10. Ram it full of RAM, power, and memory. Give it an HD screen and a slick browser and put it in the hands of every CEO who will say "sure". Don't skimp out. There is no excuse for making a phone that stutters when you open the browser in 2014. Find your niche and own it BlackBerry.

BlackBerry has announced the Z30, their latest and easily most powerful phone yet. The new BlackBerry flagship features a five inch screen, an updated BlackBerry 10 Operating System, a massive battery, upgraded speakers, and a 1.7 gigahertz processor. This phone is a followup to the Z10, the phone BlackBerry unveiled at the beginning of the year to some acclaim. Since then, BlackBerry has made improvements to its operating system but has hardly made gains in terms of public perception, with rumours swirling that the company is looking to sell. While that remains to be seen, we have gotten our hands on the first batch of accessories for this new smartphone. Here are some of our favourites!

The BlackBerry Transform Case for the BlackBerry Z30 is a very unique case from the Canadian smartphone maker. The back of the case is designed to split in two, turning your regular case into a stand for your Z30. This case snaps on easily, comes in different colours, and ships with a screen protector as well.

This flip case for the BlackBerry Z30 features a flip enclosure that covers the entire front of the phone, flipping downward to display your screen. This case incorporates power-saving technology, extending the life of your battery while protecting your smartphone at the same time. This leather case allows you to see the notification LED and is very durable.

A staple of the BlackBerry accessory lineup. The BlackBerry Leather Swivel is your traditional BlackBerry case for your BlackBerry Z30. Snapping onto your belt, this case keeps your phone close by and allows you to always see the notification LED on your BlackBerry Z30. Like the previous case, this leather case also features power-saving technology, a magnetic closure, and a soft interior, ensuring your phone doesn't get scratched while its in your holster.

BlackBerry stocks jumped yesterday following the news that BlackBerry would begin exploring options regarding selling the company. The move, which has been rumoured, speculated, and encouraged for some time, could be on the horizon for the stumbling company. The news follows a year of promise, followed by mediocrity, with BlackBerry 10, and its offspring the Z10 and Q10, failing to recapture the excitement of an older time when it comes to BlackBerry.

This most recent blast of news comes on the heels of rumours of BlackBerry going private and was sparked by the announcement of the formation of a committee devoted to finding strategic alternatives. It is expected that many companies would be interested in acquiring or partnering with BlackBerry, including Fairfax Financial, whose boss Prem Watsa resigned from the Board of Directors of BlackBerry to avoid any conflict of interest in a potential purchase. The rumours alone inspired BlackBerry's stock to surge Monday, something that happened before when rumours of acquisitions or selling have risen up.

Since the rebrand earlier this year from Research In Motion to BlackBerry, the company has released three new phones. The Z10, Q10, and Q5 were the first phones to feature the BlackBerry 10 Operating system. It is believed that a new phone, possibly called the A10, will also arrive before the end of the year. These phones were to be the saving grace of BlackBerry, and their first real updates to their product line since they flirted with touch screen technology with the older Storm and Torch product lines. What we have seen is a case of expectations set too high, and products not lofty enough to raise BlackBerry from the ashes. While there is hope that BlackBerry will sell and hopefully rise up, this is a brand that truly needs a reboot and new products that will excite their audience.

While it lacks the razzle dazzle of the BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10, the Q5 is a phone that gets by on serving its niche. Built as a mid-range device in the mould of the older BlackBerry Curve, the Q5, as a budget device, has its shortfalls both expected and unexpected. The rapidly antiquating QWERTY keyboard is a letdown on this device, along with some sluggish hardware, but the Q5 knows what it is. It is a device that works, sometimes well, but usually, it gets by on just working.

The first thing anyone looks at when they see this phone is the Q5's QWERTY keyboard. While becoming something of a rare feature, this keyboard doesn’t really nail it. The keyboard feels cheap and I shutter to think of how this keyboard will hold up after two or three years of use and abuse. Bottom line, the most important feature of this phone doesn’t exactly draw much confidence. Sad, because the Q10 keyboard really advanced the QWERTY keyboard and excited us about future iterations.

In terms of body, the Q5 is about the exact same size as the Q10. Gone is the removable battery, and in is the new plastic chassis. The 3.1 inch screen is square, meaning any widescreen video is awkward to view. It isn’t all doom and gloom with the screen though, the display has a great backlight and a great resolution. The 720 x 720 screen pumps out 329 pixels per inch which does look sharp, even if you are squinting to see smaller fonts on this smallish screen.

Despite some head scratchers, the phone surprises on this device. For just a 5 megapixel camera it really does shine. This phone’s camera app also holds up, making you forget for a few minutes about the lack of crucial apps like Instagram. The app stacks up well when compared to photo apps from major OS’s like Windows and IOS 6.

The prowess of BlackBerry 10 is available on this phone. Shipping with versions 10.1, those who dedicate time to learn the new OS will really enjoy its intuitiveness. The BlackBerry Hub returns, bringing all your emails and social notifications to one place, pleasing most. Hardware wise though, this phone clearly doesn’t stack up with the Z10 or Q10. In fact, this phone barely holds up against other budget phones in its class. Good news though, the battery is very strong and will easily get you through the day.

While it isn’t a bad phone, the Q5 isn’t a great one either. Designed to be that mid-line phone with a QWERTY Keyboard, it has goofed that up by building the mid-line phone with a sketchy keyboard. All BlackBerry needed to do was put the Q10 keyboard in a scaled down phone and sell it. Instead they tried to cheap out on the most important feature and we’ll just have to see what the market says.

The training wheels are barely off BlackBerry 10, the operating system and last hope of Research In Motion, and already the vultures are circling again among a wave of bad news and dead air. The company unveiled sad sales numbers following the launch of its Q10 and Z10 phones and has now revealed that a promised BlackBerry 10 update for its Playbook tablet has been shelved, leaving the adopters of the device twisting in the wind.

The news began with the revelation that BlackBerry shipped only 2.7 million BlackBerry 10 equipped devices. While the company did move 6.8 million total phones, it’s troubling to think that for all the razzle dazzle of the BB10 unveil, that only 40% of their sales revolved around their new devices. With the being said, that has been the moral of the story with BlackBerry over the last couple years. Sure, they keep trying, but for whatever reason the excitement just doesn’t carry over into sales. The buzz is never there for BlackBerry

In the shadows of those numbers, the news creeped out that BlackBerry had decided to pull the plug on its first and only tablet, the Playbook. BlackBerry called the audible some time after BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins declared that tablets were obsolete. BlackBerry committed a cardinal sin with this announcement. BlackBerry, a company which depends on a niche, betrayed that sliver of the market after blowing its promise to support its now abandoned tablet with its new operating system.

The fact of the matter is this. BlackBerry is going to fail if it doesn’t find a way to excite both its existing customers and potential new users. Its troubling numbers and broken promises are leading BlackBerry down a path it nearly road-tripped down in the past. The road to ruin is a slippery slope, and you don’t usually get a second chance.

The BlackBerry Q5 may have finally crept out of the shadows and reportedly onto South African and UK shelves after releasing last month in the UAE, and is expected to move on to other emerging markets over the next month. The QWERTY enabled BlackBerry Q5 was announced back in May as a mid-level, yet still feature packed, device targeted towards younger and more frugal audiences in emerging markets.

BlackBerry, the canadian smartphone maker and top brand with Puremobile, is slowly but surely unleashing its third phone this year following the release of the Z10 and Q10 earlier in 2013. The Q5 immediately resembles the latter, adopting the traditional look of BlackBerry’s fabled Bold, Curve, and now Q10. The Q5 features a 3.1” 720px720p display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and the new BlackBerry 10 Operating System. Camera-wise, the Q5 will feature a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD recording, and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera ideal for BBM chatting.

Unlike prior BlackBerry phones, the company is looking to make a new visual splash by offering this model of the phone in four different colours. The Q5 will eventually release in white, black, pink, and a particularly dynamic red. The white and red models are sure to impress as they appear to be very sharp and stylish.

While we are in the know about the features of this phone, we are still quite in the dark over this phone’s North American release. When the phone was unveiled it was made clear that this phone was going to be marketed towards emerging markets. At this point no real indication has been given regarding when this phone will cross the pond and release in North American markets. BlackBerry’s presence in non-traditional and emerging markets has been its anchor throughout the storm it has faced globally. It seems they are content to wait things out in the safely of Eurasia before tackling the North American market again.

Just got your hands on an awesome new BlackBerry Q10? Well, if you're looking for a case, we at Pure Mobile have got you covered, thanks to the new arrival at our shop of a slew of Incipio carrying cases for BlackBerry's latest Qwerty handset.

The leading accessories maker is already well-known for its popular Feather and Dual-Pro cases for other phone models, like the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 and S4. And now, you'll be able to find those leading accessories for BlackBerry Q10.

If you need a BlackBerry carrying case that's ultra-resistant and tough, but slim and lightweight, you can hardly do any better than the Incipio Feather. Made with a rigid Plextonium frame, it's surprisingly tough for an accessory that weighs in at just 0.5 ounces.

With a subtle, low-profile look, this BlackBerry carrying case is available in a range of colors, from classic black to bright pink, and vibrant blue.

Incipio DualPro Carrying Case for BlackBerry Q10 in White and Grey

Want something even more heavy-duty? Incipio serves up dual-layer protection with their Dual Pro carrying case for BlackBerry Q10. It's a seriously well-engineered accessory that combines a shatter-proof Plextonium frame with shock-absorbing silicone, to give you maximum protection.

So whether you're going for understated and sleek, or full-force protection, there's a fun new Incipio carrying case that can handle the job for your new BlackBerry.

Oh, yes, they have arrived! We at Pure Mobile are pretty pumped as fun new gadgets and accessories for BlackBerry Q10 start rolling in. We've been closely following the new BlackBerry smartphones ever since they were mere plans up until their unveiling and release. And now that they're here, this latest slew of gadgets is just the cherry on top.

If you're looking for BlackBerry covers and cases to outfit your new phone, we've got you covered. From soft shell case to hard shell cases and even leather covers, a bunch of new models for the Q10 are just arriving.

BlackBerry Leather Pocket Case for BlackBerry Q10

Among them are official Blackberry cases, like the new BlackBerry Leather pocket, as well as products from leading labels, like the Feather, one of the most popular Incipio phone cases.

For the time being, the lightweight but tough Feather case is only available in black. But a bunch of new colors and finishes are on the way too, as are an even wider lineup of accessories for BlackBerry Q10, including Inicipio's Dual Pro case and even more official BlackBerry covers and cases. So stay tuned!

Sometimes less is more. And if you're just looking for easy, stylish and practical protection for your phone, today's mobile accessory of the week – the Microfiber Pocket case for BlackBerry Z10 – will deliver in terms of functionality and minimalism.

Simply cool, this pocket-style case for BlackBerry's latest and most popular phone is hand-crafted from high-grade microfiber, which is soft against the surface of your phone, protecting from scratches, dust and knicks.

BlackBerry Microfiber Pocket for Z10 in Red

With a sleeve design the Microfiber Pocket makes accessing your BlackBerry a snap, and adds practically no bulk or weight to your device. And like most of the recent, officially-branded accessories for BlackBerry Z10, it's available in both classic black, as well as an eye-popping cherry red.

Simply classic, this cute BlackBerry case also lets you keep your essentials all in one spot, with a handy back slot for cards and cash.

Card Slot on the BlackBerry Microfiber Pocket for Z10 in Grey

And, if you're looking for a cheap but stylish and simple option to keep your new BlackBerry scratch-free, the Microfiber Pocket is really reasonably priced, especially compared to some of the more extravagant carrying cases out there. In fact, we're even running a special deal on this cool BlackBerry case at pure Mobile, so check in with us for a great deal on this great little sleeve.

If you've got your hands on a shiny new BlackBerry Z10, you're probably going to want to protect your favorite new gadget. And Pure Mobile's deal of the day is a slim and convenient accessory for Blackberry's latest. PureGear's Kickstand and Holster for BlackBerry Z10 combines the protection and practicality of a BlackBerry holster case with the protection of a hard case and easy viewing of a kickstand.

This lightweight and durable travel case is designed like a holster, so your BlackBerry is protected while it's clipped to your belt, bag, or whatever else is handy. With the protection of a hard case, and a rubberized finish for extra grip, it allows you to slide your BlackBerry face-in, so there's no need for a screen protector either.

Puregear Kickstand and Holster for BlackBerry Z10 in Black

Then, of course, there's the kickstand feature. The stand stays seamlessly flush with the rest of the case, snapping shut securely when it's not in use. And when you do want it, it easily slides open for either horizontal or vertical viewing.

The screen on the new BlackBerry Z10 is among the best out there today, so it's the kind of phone you're definitely going to want to view media on. And an accessory with a built-in stand is just a logical choice for the latest BlackBerry, so extra points to PureGear on that score.

But what makes the Kickstand and Holster case our deal of the day is its value. Marked down in our shop to just under $20 right now, you'll get a lot from this Blackberry accessory, but at a super cheap price. Protection, practicality, portability – it's got it all. So for your buck, you probably won't find a more complete package than this.